Tuesday, January 7, 2014

PLAYFULNESS: MY WORD FOR 2014

play·ful adjective\ˈplā-fəl\

: happy and
full of energy : eager to play

: showing
that you are having fun and not being serious

— play·ful·lyadverb

— play·ful·nessnoun

This year I am reclaiming playfulness as part of who I am.Somehow in the last 25 years of growing up,
raising kids, and dealing with life’s joys as well as life’s blows I have
become a serious person.I take
responsibility.I get things done.I am reflective and some would say I have a
wisdom about life that is an inspiration.I don’t think those same people would say I am playful.And you know what…I am realizing that true wisdom
does not come with seriousness alone—it needs playfulness.

I look at truly wise people—Nelson Mandala, Pope Francis.In their faces are a glow and in their eyes
are a twinkle, a twinkle that comes from playfulness.Nelson Mandala’s dancing or Pope Francis’s
inviting children on the alter and seeing them play with him—all ways that
playfulness cracks in to balance a wisdom of serious to true wisdom.I want that.

I have not always been
quite so serious.I remember as a child
frolicking in the rain with friends, chasing fireflies at night, building
snowmen and snow forts, playing kick-the-can in the street at nightfall as
neighbors sat on their porch watching us, getting lost in hours of fun and
swimming at the local pool, playing with books as I got lost in story.I remember as an adolescent playfully
interacting with my friends, going to fairs, holding hands and playing with
love.Playfulness was a part of me.And somehow it got lost on the road to
responsibility and busyness.

I want to find that
playful self this year.I miss her.

I have told some of my
friends that I have chosen “playfulness” as my word this year.One friend knows that I am “serious” about
exercise right now and challenged me to find play there saying that the
elliptical and the treadmill just are not very playful.I am going to Zumba this week and am
exploring other forms of fun exercise because of this insight.Today a friend suggested that we might look
into belly dancing.

Among the many things I
do on a professional front, I work with kindergarteners and their
teachers.This year I am choosing to
laugh with children every day.And with
teachers.And to find ways to playfully
create learning for both.(True learning
happens naturally with play.) On Monday I went back to school after a two week
holiday.On Sunday night I felt anxious
because my time would be so much fuller and my pace would be going full speed
once again.I realized that I love my
work and I need to find a playful spirit there to thrive.Mindfulness about playfulness and the action
toward it is what will give me balance.

So my choice this year is
to explore playfulness and become light-hearted in spirit through play.I don’t know exactly what that means yet (the
exploration) but the results will bring me the balance and a knew-found wisdom
that I long for.So you might see me
chasing fire flies, belly dancing, kicking-the- can and playing with words.All on the journey to a place of wholeness
and fulfillment.

Actually, I think the nicest thing about the OLW is that it's a mystery. One doesn't know what will happen, but it's terrific to start! Love your word, & seeing truthfully that the elliptical machine isn't full of fun! Best of wishes on this new journey!

I love this word! (BTW, I also love the larger font on your blog!) I think sometimes we as women and the roles we have, play just doesn't seem to fit into the picture. I admire your choosing of this word and look forward to how it guides you through 2014.